Common App essay word count
650 words maximum, 250 minimum — enforced by the form itself. Most strong essays land between 500 and 650.
The rules
The Common Application personal statement allows 250–650 words. The text box stops accepting input at the cap, and pasted text gets truncated — so trim before you paste. Word count is measured the standard way (whitespace-separated words), the same method our word counter uses by default.
The supplements are different
College-specific supplemental essays set their own limits — commonly 100, 250, or 350 words. Check each prompt; the 650 applies only to the main personal statement.
Draft to the limit, privately
Write in the word counter with a 650-word goal set — you’ll get a live progress bar, autosave in your own browser (nothing uploads), and readability feedback. When you’re within range, paste into the Common App and confirm its count matches.
Related
How long is an essay? · How many paragraphs? · Sentence counter